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Most of the time, you’re not going to hear me say that a new game is better than an old one. There is just something about the simplicity of side-scrolling arcade classics that hold a place in my heart that will never be filled with all the fancy graphics and 3D gameplay. Alpha Zero fits in the middle of these two generations. It is a 2D game with simple, shoot-em-up action, but implements two-handed touch screen controls for today’s gamer.
Players control an experimental spaceship whose AI brain is smart enough to know when to find the missiles to help shoot down the big dogs. There are only two things you’ll need to do in this game, shoot and move.
To move the ship, touch it and drag it around on the screen. To shoot, use your other hand and touch the intended target. The weapons will fire on the oncoming enemies as long as you have your finger on the target.
The ship moves along in space at its own pace. Players control where it is on the screen by dragging it around. The ship moves fast when you need it to get out of the way. Use your maneuvering skills to clear away from oncoming fire while blasting enemy ships to smithereens.
This shooter game is filled with non-stop action. As it progresses, you’ll unlock new weapons and pick up health points to keep you going. While the challenge is fun and makes it worth coming back to, the game is a bit too hard for me. I never made it past the first boss. I gave up in frustration after about 10 tries. The worst part was having to go over the beginning tutorial every single time I had to replay the game.
The app summary shows three difficulty levels. However, I never found where the difficulty could be changed. Maybe it’s because I never made it past the first big baddie?
What I liked: The graphics are great. The gameplay mixes old school shoot-em-up action with multi-touch controls. No virtual joystick here.
What I didn’t like: I’d like to be able to reduce the difficulty level. If the problem is that I have to complete the first mission in order to change the difficulty, then the first mission should be easier.
To buy or not to buy: This is a yes and no buy. If you don’t like having to replay levels over and over because you can’t beat the end boss, then this game is too challenging. However, if you like a challenge, then everything about this game screams, “Awesome!”
Name: Alpha Zero
Score: 
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Category: Games
Developer: Funkoi Ltd.
Price: $1.99
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